Campaign success as workers go by bike

A CAMPAIGN to get more of York's workforce to use bicycles on their daily commute to cut traffic tailbacks and boost healthy living has been heralded a success.

Projects run under the Cycling City York scheme has seen more than 100 people biking in excess of 3,500 miles in a month.

More than three-quarters of those who completed the Bike Boost and Try Cycling challenges have confirmed that they will continue commuting by bike in the future.

Cycling City York's programme manager, Graham Titchener, said: "We find that once people discover just how quick, cheap, stress-free and fun it is to commute by bike, there's no stopping them."

A total of 51 York Council employees and 37 people who work at York Science Park volunteered to take part in the month-long Bike Boost challenge.

Meanwhile, 19 members of staff at York Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust also signed up for the Try Cycling challenge.

The two projects provided participants with a bike, a helmet and other accessories.

Participants pledged to cycle to work at least 50 per cent of the time during the month-long challenge, and they were given the option of buying the bike at a discounted rate at the end of the project.

The results show that 44 of the 51 council staff completed the challenge, with 85 per cent stating they would continue cycling to work.

At York Science Park, 32 of the 37 participants finished the project, with 71 per cent claiming they would continue cycling to work.

All 19 participants at the York Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust completed the Try Cycling challenge and 76 per cent said that they were planning to continue cycling to work.

York was selected in 2008 to take part in the 90m nationwide Cycling City project, which has already seen a seven per cent increase in the number of people using bikes in the city.